Unit-packed cigarette-and-holder of cigarette extensible type



Jan. 21, 1958 E. FLEISCHER 2,820,462

UNIT-PACKED CIGARETTE-AND-HOLDER 0F CIGARETTE EXTENSIBLE TYPE FiledFeb. 1. 1957 INVENTOR. E/Zz'oz FZezSc/zez United States Patent UUNIT-PACKED CllGARETTE-AND-HOLDER OF (IIGARETTE EXTENSIBLE TYPE ElliotFleischer, Hamden, Conn.

Application February 1, 1957, Serial No. 637,658

7 Claims. (Cl. 131-11) This invention relates to cigarettes withattached holders in general, and to individually unit-packed cigarettesand holders of the cigarette-extensible type in particular.

Unit-packed cigarettes and holders of this type commonly comprise ausually paper-made tubular sleeve or holder in which a cigarette isplaced and from which the same is extensible to-its full smokablelength, with the holder to be discarded with the cigarette butt aftersmoking. These unit-packed cigarettes and holders are intended to alfordall the well-known benefits of holders to the vast majority of smokerswho do not and will not bother with separate cigarette holders. However,prior unit-packed cigarettes and holders of this type have never becomepopular, either because their cost was prohibitive or their use requiredalmost as much attention as the use of a separate cigarette holder.Thus, some of these prior unit-packed cigarettes and holders havepositive stop provisions on the holders or cigarettes, or both, topermit quick extension of the correct lengths of the cigarettes, andprevent full retraction of the latter, from the holders by the mere feelof touch of, and without so much as a glance from, the users. However,these extra stop provisions rendered the cost of these prior unit-packedcigarettes and holders prohibitive. Other prior unit-packed cigarettesand holders of this type are devoid of stop provisions, comprisingmerely cylindrical holders with readily extensible cigarettes therein ofwhich the latter may or may not be provided with stop lines or othervisible marks wherewith to gauge the correct extent of the cigarettesfrom the holders. However, while these latter unit-packed cigarettes andholders do not entail the prohibitive cost of the aforementioned otherprior unit-packed cigarettes and holders due to the absence of positivestop provisions, they are nevertheless objectionable in that they eitherafiord no gauge for the correct extension of the cigarettes and areliable to be under-extended or completely retracted, or if afiording agauge, must be carefully extended to their stop lines or marks, thusrequiring in either event careful attention of the user. Also, theseprior stopless unit-packed cigarettes and holders require a fairly tightfit of the cigarettes in the holders in order securely to hold theformer in their extended state in the latter and prevent them fromdropping out, especially when lighted.

, It is the primary object of the present invention to provide aunit-packed cigarette and holder of this type the cost of which isapproximately as low as that of the aforementioned prior stoplessunit-packed cigarettes and holders, and which, despite the lack of anyof the aforementioned positive stop provisions, nevertheless permitsquick and unfailing extension of the correct length of the cigarettefrom the holder by the mere feel of touch of, and without so much as aglance or other attention from,

the user. g

It is another object of the present invention to provide a unit-packedcigarette and holder with stop provisions which for their applicationthereto involve no more than simple and inexpensive marking of thecigarette and holder 2,820,462 Patented Jan. 21, 1958 with coordinatedstop lines, yet which act to all practical intents and purposes aspositively as the aforementioned positive stop provisions in limitingthe extension of the cigarette from the holder to the correct smokablelength of the former.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a unit-packedcigarette and holder with the aforementioned coordinated stop lines inthe form of adhesive dried films, respectively, which arepressure-active to themselves only, and are so peripherally arranged onthe exterior of the cigarette and the interior of the holder that theywill align on extension of the correct cigarette length from the holderand, in consequence, become bonded to each other with sufficient forceunmistakably to indicate to the user the correct extension of thecigarette from the holder.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the artfrom the following considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out thepresent invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a unit-packed cigarette and holder embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the holder element of theunit-packed cigarette and holder, with the internal cigarette elementshown in side view and partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, with the cigarette element shownextended from the holder element, however;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section through the unitpacked cigarette andholder as taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of aunit-packed cigarette and holder of modified form;

Fig. 6 is a view of the modified unit-packed cigarette and holder ofFig. 5, with the cigarette element shown extended from the holderelement, however;

Fig. 7 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of aunit-packed cigarette and holder of another modified form;

Fig. 8 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of aunit-packed cigarette and holder of a further modified form; and

Fig. 9 is a View of the modified unit-packed cigarette and holder ofFig. 8, with the cigarette element shown extended from the holderelement, however.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4thereof, the reference numeral 10 designates a unit-packedcigarette-and-holder or smoking product which comprises a conventionalcigarette 12 and a holder 14 therefor. The cigarette 12 is in the usualform of a filler of finely cut tobacco t wrapped more or less tightly inthe customary outer paper 16 (Fig. 4), while the holder 14 mayconveniently be wound from relatively thin paper, or other suitablestock, in several layers which are suitably bouded to each other, sothat the holder may have the desired degree of rigidity.

The cigarette 12 and holder 14, which in the present example are shownto be of equal lengths, may be separately formed or manufactured inaccordance with con-' smokable cigarette length projects beyond theholder (Fig. 2), and this may be achieved in the present instance byblowing rather lightly into the mouthpiece 20 of the holder to start thecigarette into plunger-like forward motion whereupon its light end 22may be grasped "for full extension of the cigarette from the holder.

In accordance with the present invention, the present unit-packedcigarette-and-holder has stop provisions which indicate to the user bymere feel of touch correct extension of the cigarette from the holder,so as to prevent wasteful under-extension or annoying full withdrawal ofthe former from the latter. To this end, the cigarette 12 and holder 14are at or near their ends 18 and 24 provided with external and internalperipheral adhesive films 28 and 30, respectively, which arepressures-chive to themselves only. These adhesive films and 33, whicharepresently of continuous band or ring extent, are preferably oflimited widths lengthwise of the product, their width being limited onlyby their degree of adhesion to each other under the relatively lightpressure from the preferably easily sliding cigarette in the holder andthe desired perceptible brake or stop force on the cigarette when thesefilms come in contact with each other. Furthermore, these adhesion films28 and 34) may be so thin that no consideration need be iven to them insizing the cigarette and holder in their manufacture for theirsubsequent convenient assembly (Fig. 2).

Thus, on extending the cigarette from the holder to the extent soperceptibly indicated by the contacting adhesive films 28 and 3%) (Fig.3) the cigarette may be lighted and then smoked down to somewhere nearthe holder, whereupon the latter and the cigarette butt therein arediscarded the same as a finished cigarette without a holder.

The adhesive films 28 and 38 may be applied to the cigarette and holderafter the latter are individually formed or manufactured, whereupon thecigarette and holder may be assembled (Fig. 2) by sliding the cigarettewith its light end 22 first into the mouth end 2th of the holder withoutany interference from the adhesive films 28 or 30, this by virtue of thefact that the latter are pressure-active to themselves only, asdescribed, and will not adhere to the paper of either the cigarette orholder. Any suitable adhesive which, on drying, becomes pressure--active to itself only, may be used for the films 28 and 36. Thus, anysuitable adhesive in non-dried state may be applied to the cigarette andholder in any convenient manner, as by brushing, rolling or spraying,for instance, whereupon the applied adhesive is permitted to dry beforethe cigarette and holder are assemb ed or unit-packed (Fig. 2). Forexample, an adhesive found quite satisfactory for this purpose is acommercially available product of the Minnesota Mining and ManufacturingCompany, known as 3M Adhesive EC-97l.

While the coordination of the adhesive films 28 and 30 with respect tothe ends 18 and 24 of the cigarette 12 and holder 14, respectively, mayvary as long as they arrest the fully extended cigarette with asubstantial mouth length 18 in the adjacent end 24 of the holder (Fig.3), it is preferable to apply the adhesive film 30 to the very end 24 ofthe holder, and to apply the adhesive film 28 to the cigarette justbeyond an adequate mouth length 1% thereof, substantially as shown, inorder to effect the inteiposition of the mouth length or end 13 of thecigarette as an effective seal between the contacting adhesive films 28and 30 and the smoke passage through the holder (Fig. 3).

While in the foregoing description of the unit-packedcigarette-and-holder the cigarette and holder elements 12 and 14 havebeen individually formed or manufactured and the adhesive films 28 and30 applied thereto before the assembly of the former into unit-packagestyle (Fig. 2), it is, of course, possible to form the presentunit-packed cigarette-and-holder by wrapping the holder directly on thecigarette on first applying the adhesive film 28 to the latter andapplying the adhesive film 30 to the paper of the wrapper before orwhile the latter is wound on the cigarette. Also, while in the presentexemplary unit-packed :cigarette-and-holder 10 the adhesive films 28 and30 are in endless band or ring form, they may be peripherallyinterrupted to leave peripheral film sections which are adequate for thepurpose as long as those on the cigarette overlap those in the holder inany relative angular disposition of the cigarette and holder, as will bereadily understood.

Reference is now had to Figs. 5 and 6 which show a modified unit-packedcigarette-and-holder 10:; that may in all respects be like the describedunit-packed cigaretteand-holder Iii of Figs. 1 to 4, except that theholder 14a is shorter than the cigarette 12a so that the latter extends,preferably with its light end 22a, beyond the holder (Fig. 5) for readyfinger extension of the cigarette from the holder (Fig. 6) when theformer is to be smoked. Hence, the present modified unit-packedcigarette andholder 10a, which has also the featured cigarette stopprovisions 28a and 30a, may be used without reliance on blowing into themouth end Zita of the holder for starting the partial ejection of thecigarette therefrom.

Fig. 7 shows another modified unit-packed cigaretteand-holder 1% which,in contrast to that of Figs. 5 and 6, has a holder l ib which is longerthan the cigarette 12b therein. The present unit-packedcigarette-and-holder Nib, which also features the same adhesivefilm-type cigarette stop provisions as the before described unit-packedcigarettes-and-holders it and 10a, may in its original unitpacked statebe as shown in Fig. 7, i. e., the light end 22b of the cigarette mayextend beyond the adjacent end 2412 of the holder while the month end 2%of the holder may be exposed for the insertion therein of any suitablefilter by the user himself or herself or by the manufacturer (Fig. 8).The filter 4t may conveniently be in the form of a self-containedinsertable plug of any suitable or wellknown kind. Thus, on extendingthe cigarette from the holder (Fig. 9), the smoke passing from thecigarette passes not only through the relatively long passage in thesolder, but is ultimately also filtered of its harmful constituentsbefore passing into the smokers mouth.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than thoseherein set forth without departing from the spirit and essentialcharacteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

l. A unit-packed smoking product, comprising a sleevelike holder havinga mouth end; a cigarette having a light end and being received in saidholder with a sliding fit; and adhesive films pressure-active to ther.selves only and so peripherally arranged externally and internally atthe other ends of said cigarette and holder, respectively, as to bind toeach other on extension of a predetermined partial length, includingsaid light end, of said cigarette from said other end of said holder.

2. A unit-packed smoking product as set forth in claim 1, in which saidfilms are arranged in endless ring form on said cigarette and in saidholder, respectively.

3. A unit-packed smoking product as set forth in claim 1, in which saidfilms are arranged over a length of said holder extending to said otherend thereof and over a length of said cigarette spaced from said otherend thereof.

4. A unit-packed smoking product as set forth in claim 1, in which saidcigarette and holder are of substantially equal lengths.

5. A unit-packed smoking product as set forth in claim 1, in which saidholder is shorter than said cigarette.

6. A unit-packed smoking product as set forth in claim 1, in which saidholder is longer than said cigarette.

5 t 7. A unit-packed smoking product as set forth in claim FOREIGNPATENTS 1, further comprising a filter plug in the mouth end of said12,797 Great Britain 1883 holder, with the remaining free inner lengthof the latter being smaller than the length of said cigarette.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,862,679 Holsman June 14, 1932

